Jobs Back on the Job

Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears to be back at work -- at least in a limited capacity -- following a six-month leave of absence for medical reasons. The charismatic leader released a quote on Monday about iPhone 3GS sales figures, and witnesses claim to have seen him on the company's Cupertino campus, too.

Mr. Jobs commented "Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning," in response to Apple's news that it sold more than a million iPhone 3GS units over the weekend.

He was also seen at Apple's headquarters on Monday sporting his familiar black mock turtle neck shirt and jeans, according to Reuters.

USA TODAYreported that three Apple employees confirmed Mr. Jobs has been in contact with company staff via email for the past few weeks. The employees spoke anonymously in hopes of avoiding repercussions, which is a strong indication that Mr. Jobs is in the house.

Mr. Jobs announced in January that he was taking a six-month leave of absence for health reasons. He has been recovering from pancreatic cancer and was losing weight. Word also leaked out a few days ago that he received a liver transplant two months ago.

Mr. Jobs's return to work will likely please many investors and consumers, but it may not hold the significance everyone expected six months ago. The company has continued to move forward while releasing new products, including the iPhone 3GS, and has continued to grow in a market where its competitors aren't faring as well -- all indicators that Apple's success isn't tied to a single person any more.

Steve has vision which is vital in any leader. He also has the drive to see his visions realized. By keeping a tight reign on the company this works very well.

A six month sabbatical is not long enough to require vision and leadership from others in the company. I feel a longer time will be needed to see if Apple has this vision in other execs and if they can bring visions to fruition.

The mark of a good leader is, amongst other things, to train a successor.

If Steve does not do this then there will be problems when he steps down for good.